Automatically-adjustable bracelet or belt.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

J. J. SOMMER. AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE BRACELET 0R BELT.

APPLICATION FILED APB..14, 1904.

Patented February '7, 1905.

FFICE JOHN J. SOMMER, OF NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASSr-XCHUSE"TS.

AUTOMATICALLY-ADJUSTABLE BRACELET OR BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 781,969,

dated February '7, 1905.

Application filed April 14, 1904. Serial No. 203,134.

I?) lr/mm 1'1 may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. SOMMi-JR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yorth Attleboro, Bristol county, and State of Massachusetts. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatically-Adjustable Bracelets or Belts, of which the following is a specification sufiicient to enable others skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use the same.

.\ly invention relates to bracelets, belts, and like articles in which a series of hollow crossbars are united by means which admit of the separation of such bars more or less within prescribed limits, but which tend constantly to draw the said cross-bars toward each other.

The object of the invention is to insure the parallelism of the hollow cross-bars with relation to each other under all conditions of use; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed specifically.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a bracelet or like article, the parts retracted and in normal relation to each other when not in use. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the parts expanded with relation to each other. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the hollow crossbars being shown in section upon plane of line 3 3, Fig. 7. Fig. i is a view of the same parts expanded as in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a rear view of one of the hollow cross-bars with its back plate in position. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the lazy-tong levers. Fig. T is a transverse section, upon an enlarged scale, taken through one of the hollow cross-bars. Fig. S is a side elevation of one of the hollow cross-bars.

The hollow cross-bars B B may be of any desired shape or configuration provided each is formed with a spring chamber or chambers s .5. Those shown in the drawings consist of elongated rectangular boxes 7) 1), each closed at the rear by a back plate I), held in place by flanges 6, formed by the edges of the boxes, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 5 and 7. Two of what may be designated as a series of lazytong levers L are pivotally secured to each hollow cross-barB at their centers, and preferi l i i ably at the centers of said cross-bars, as shown in the drawings, the adjoining ends of the levers being connected together by links for equivalent coupling devices which will admit of the free articulation of the levers upon theirfulcrums. Each lever L is formed with a shoulder for engagement with the end of one of the flat bent springs S S, situated within each of the hollow cross-bars B, said springs S tending constantly to maintain said levers L in their normal positions with their arms against the outer side walls of the cross-bars B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The shoulders I on each pair of levers are arranged at one side of each hollow cross-bar B, so that the springs S S press against them on one side of the pivot or fulcrum f and against the inner side wall of the cross-bar on the opposite side of the pivotf. By this means the pressure is equalized and each cross-bar balanced, so that they are kept in alinement with and parallel to each other. The endsr/ c of the slots (2 in the side of the hollow cross-bars 15, through which the levers L project, act as shoulders or stops to limit the movement of the lovers L, and thus preserve the alinement and parallelism of the cross-bars when separated by the distance thus prescribed. The sides of the slot (1 support the lovers L laterally, and the springs S are held in place by the back plates 0 It is to be noted that each lazy-tong lever L is essentially Z-shaped, the transverse or central portion through which the pivotf passes engaging the ends w w of the slots 1*, which latter may thus obviously be made nmch less in length than would be necessary if the said levers L were straight. The shoulders for engagement with the springsS are also formed on these transverse central portions of the levers L. In fact, the essential feature of my construction and arrangement of parts would not be practical or operative were the lovers L straight, and this is a distinguishing feature of my invention.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a device of the character designated the combination of the hollow cross bars B, formed with the side slots 1', the Z-shaped lazy-tong levers L, p trally with the cro With it shoulder Z, posed bet ivotally connected cenars B, and each formed scribed.

the springs S, each interon' one of the lenner surface of a crossitnesses:

ling the adjoining GEO. WM. MIATT, dleversL together, for the D. W. GARDNER.

Ween a shoulder Z, vers L and an opposed i bar, and the links ends of the Z-shape purpose and substantially in the manner de- JOHN J. SOMMER. 

